Iran’s president said Wednesday that it will stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water from its nuclear program as stipulated by the 2015 atomic accord with world powers, and set a 60-day deadline for new terms to the deal before it would resume higher uranium enrichment.
Hassan Rouhani’s address to the nation came on the anniversary of President Trump’s decision to withdraw America from the landmark agreement. Rouhani said Iran wanted to negotiate new terms with remaining partners in the deal, but acknowledged that the situation was dire.
“We felt that the nuclear deal needs a surgery and the painkiller pills of the last year have been ineffective,” Rouhani said. “This surgery is for saving the deal, not destroying it.”
The 2015 deal saw sanctions on Iran lifted in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. After the U.S. withdrew from the accord it restored crippling sanctions on Iran, exacerbating a severe economic crisis.
